Permanent Pictorial Cancellation inaugural day covers

Description: Thekkady is located about 4 Km from Kumili in the Idukki district of Kerala. The area is home to Periyar National Park, one of the most popular national parks in the south. The park features a 100-year-old artificial lake and is known for its wild elephants and dense forests. The valleys of Periyar contain tropical evergreen forests with thick tree cover and limited sunlight penetration. The park also includes marshy grasslands, water bodies, and patches of semi-evergreen forest, which are important for various animal species. Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area and a renowned Elephant and Tiger reserve, covering 925 sq km, with the main zone comprising 305 sq km. The park is a repository of rare, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna and is a major watershed for the Periyar and the Pamba rivers.

The conservation efforts for the area began in 1934 when the Maharaja of Travancore declared the forests around Periyar Lake as a private reserve to prevent encroachment from tea plantations. It was consolidated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1950. In 1978, it was declared a tiger reserve and in 1982, it became the core area of a national park. Finally, it was brought under Project Elephant in 1991. The Postal Department issued the first PPC on 6th Jan. 1975 with an image of the Lake which was reintroduced with a new PPC on 11th Oct.1975 and was again renewed with Kumily S.O. as now displayed in the PPC.